US to get 54 new Sony digital cinemas by December

The theatres will feature a combination of Sony's SRX-R210 10,000 lumen model and the SRX-R220 18,000 lumen unit. The systems, which were specifically designed for theatre applications, will be paired with Sony's LMT-100 Media Block servers.

"This inaugural effort with AMC Entertainment is the latest example of the exhibition and motion picture industries' continued adoption of 4K digital cinema technology," said John Scarcella, president of Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Business Solutions Company.

Sony's digital cinema team will work with AMC to provide technical support for the systems and operations management at all four locations.

"Our goal with SXRD digital cinema technology has been to deliver unmatched levels of resolution, contrast and overall image quality," said Gary Johns, a Sony vice president in charge of its Digital Cinema Systems Division.

Although digital projection requires investment on behalf of the theatre owners, the longer-term implications for the motion picture industry as a whole are actually cost reduction, as well as potentially improved picture quality.

The elimination of film during shooting spells the end of wasted stock, while distributors will no longer have to pay for multiple copies of a film in order to reach cinemas simultaneously.

The Sony 4K digital projection systems for the new AMC theatres are designed to be compliant to the Digital Cinema Initiatives specification - providing 2K and 4K playback/projection, interoperability with currently installed systems and full-wrap security. They will be linked to Sony's Screen Management System.

The motion picture industry recently announced that it is working with major cinematographers to start production on 4K originated features, and the industry has accelerated development of 4K cameras in recent months. Johns said that Sony also intends to build a complete system of digital cinematography production equipment, including 4K acquisition, storage and infrastructure solutions.